Automated cashiers for use in association with stores are becoming more common where these devices include a banknote acceptor and dispenser for receiving cash from the customer and providing him with the appropriate change for a transaction. Some of these devices include a supply of depleting banknotes which are provided to the arrangement from time to time by an operator for dispensing of change. In other systems, the arrangement includes a banknote accumulator where banknotes provided for payment by the customer can be temporarily stored in the accumulator for later dispensing as change. These types of arrangements can reduce the frequency of service required to replenish banknotes and/or increase the transaction capabilities of the system.
It is a common practice in the vending industry to include a coin dispensing arrangement. It is also known with respect to vending machines to provide an arrangement where coins inserted by a customer are accumulated by the device for dispensing as change for a subsequent transaction.
Vending machines are now used for the sale of more expensive product and banknote validators are now commonly associated with vending machines. With these higher prices, the need to improve the performance by dispensing of banknotes as change has increased.
The present invention provides a compact banknote acceptor and dispenser which includes a banknote accumulator as well as a banknote cassette. The efficient space utilization renders the system suitable for many existing vending machines. Many of the vending machines have restricted space available for the banknote validating arrangement and the present design effectively utilizes the space on an efficient manner.